Although marijuana usage has shown some benefits in very specific cases it is not the miracle cure that its proponents make it out to be. The medical community should continue to look for a better solution to these problems as marijuana has proven to have many harmful side effects. Scientific studies have shown an increased rate of depression and schizophrenia in habitual marijuana users (Marijuana|drugfacts|national Institute On Drug Abuse, 2010).Patients already dealing with pain issues should not be put at risk of depression symptoms as the drop in mood could easily outweigh the benefits of pain management. Marijuana use greatly increases the heart rate of the user for a one to three hour period immediately after usage and can be dangerous in patients with heart conditions (Marijuana|drugfacts|national Institute On Drug Abuse, 2010). Medical marijuana usage should be avoided in the elderly for its dangerous potential to anyone with a heart condition. Trading pain management for a potentially fatal heart attack isn't an acceptable trade in the medical community. Habitual marijuana usage has been shown to cause a lack of motivation and a lower overall performance in the workplace. Younger patients cannot afford a loss in motivation when faced with the challenge of a chronic illness that may require long term pain management. A patient cannot be expected to maintain their quality of life and keep up with their medical bills if their treatment is lowering their drive to achieve or even participate in their work life.

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Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. It contains the mind-altering chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), as well as other related compounds. It is usually smoked, but can also be ingested orally.
Historically, marijuana has teetered from legal to illegal and back for centuries. The use of marijuana to achieve euphoria has been dated back to ancient times, where it was described in a Chinese medical reference in 2737 B.C. Marijuana was brought to the New World by the Spanish in 1545. In 1614, the English introduced it in Jamestown, where it became a major commercial crop alongside tobacco. It was grown as a source of fiber. Regulations and restrictions on the sale of marijuana began as early as 1619 when the growing of hemp was ordered by King James I.
By the 1850’s, marijuana had been added to the list of United States Pharmacopeia and was used to treat a number of conditions including labor pains, nausea, and rheumatism. Around the same time, laws were being passed, on a state to state basis, to criminalize the mislabeling of drugs (poison laws), and by 1905 some states were requiring the sale of marijuana to be labeled as a poison. Between 1906 and 1923, poison laws were strengthened.
The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 made possession or transfer of cannabis illegal...

...Moffit
July 23th, 2012
The Legalization of Medicinal Marijuana
Many scientific communities around the world have compiled persuasive evidence supporting marijuana’s cannabinoid potential as a source of treatment. Analgesia, glaucoma, chemotherapy and HIV-related gastrointestinal disorders are just a few among the vast amount of afflictions which from marijuana can help provide relief. Unfortunately the United States government continues to place a negative stigma on marijuana by regulating its availability for testing as a classified “Schedule I” controlled substance through a misguided political agenda. Until the governmental view point changes, medical marijuana will never be able to reach its full potential.
The federal government claims that marijuana has no therapeutic or medicinal value and as such has classified it as a "Schedule I" controlled substance. Customarily, these classifications call for the systematic evaluation and examination of a substance, but congress has sidestepped the Controlled Substance Act and assigned it to this category without following the correct procedure. Other substances also graded within the “Schedule I” category are LSD and heroin. Cocaine and opium are classified below marijuana in what is known as “Schedule II” because they are believed to have some known medical benefit. If scientists were given the same opportunity to study...

...The Legalization of Marijuana
Joseph LeClair
COM/205
September 28, 2011
Mary Mandley
The Legalization of Marijuana
Even though in the federal government's view, marijuana is a gateway drug, it should be legal because medical marijuana has fewer side effects than other legally prescribed drugs and it can be prescribed for many symptoms. The controversy of marijuana has been going on since the United States Government has made it illegal in the 1930s. Alcohol is legal and causes problems with the law along with other legally prescribed drugs. This essay will show facts that marijuana is not as bad as the government makes it.
There are many reasons why it should be legal. This essay will focus mostly on the medical benefits, but will also compare marijuana to other drugs, as you can see with this table that marijuana is less toxic than compared to other drugs such as alcohol and prescription drugs. According to this table it is about as toxic and dangerous as caffeine.
(Henningfield, 1994)
Consuming alcohol excessively is the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States and can really damage the liver, yet this substance is legal to consume in the United States. Take into the consideration that there are many accidents due to drunk driving or driving under the influence. There is little evidence that...

...﻿Martin Torrijos
Mr. Fontenot
English 104-401
October 28, 2013
MarijuanaLegalization
The legalization of marijuana has been a heated topic of debate for many years. In 1937, the United Sates of America passed the Marijuana Tax Act, which made transfer or possession of cannabis (marijuana plant) illegal throughout the US under federal law. Studies conducted throughout the years have proven that cannabis can be utilized as a medical supplement. In fact 20, states and the District of Columbia have passed laws to legalize marijuana under certain medical conditions. According to the White House, it is the most commonly used recreational drug in the United States. It has been proven to be less harmful than alcohol, which is currently legal; and prohibition caused a black market to arise leading to an increase in an organized criminal activity. The fight against those organizations is costing a great amount of money and was cause for the loss of many innocent. While there are strong arguments in support of prohibition there are stronger arguments in support of the legalization if marijuana than there are counterarguments to keep the substance illegal.
When comparing the Alcohol Prohibition in the 1920s and compare that situation with the current situation with the legal status of marihuana, we cans ee that a repetition...

...of Columbia have enacted laws protecting medical marijuana patients from state prosecution
property crime in the city is down by more than 11 percent from the same six-month period of 2013.
The state has collected about $35 million in taxes
about a dozen other states are considering legalization in some form in the next few years.
Creates job (farmers, dispensary employees)
.
States that have legalized medical marijuana have nearly 25 percent fewer deaths from overdoses involving prescription painkillers
0 deaths directly from marijuana
“Sometimes, people with chronic pain would say only marijuana worked or they tried marijuana as a painkiller and found it worked better than prescription pills.” physician and researcher at the University of Pennsylvania. (bachhuber)
Relieves nausea which can help people suffering from side effects from chemotherapy
Used to give cancer patients an appetite
New study shows that marijuana relieves HIV-related peripheral neuropathy The findings are comparable to clinically proven oral drugs for chronic neuropathic pain.
Vaporization a safe form of “smoking” carbon monoxide levels were significantly reduced with vaporization compared with smoked marijuana
New studies show that marijuana may help people suffering from epilepsy
Canadian Medical Association Journal, included 30 MS patients with muscle spasticity that...

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Jagger Hudson
Mr. Harris
English 12
March 6, 2014
Legalization of Marijuana
The Legalization of marijuana is slowly working its way into the United States. California was the first state to adopt this policy in 1996 when they issued Proposition 216, which legalized the sale of medical marijuana to certain patients. Legalizing marijuana has many financial and medical benefits.
Despite being illegal in almost all states, marijuana is proving to be a money making product in the few states it is legal. Colorado is selling medical marijuana at a tax rate of 2.9% to medical patients, and is charging a tax rate of 25% when people purchase recreational marijuana. Colorado reports having made over $109,182,002 in the first quarter of marijuana sales. Five million of this money coming in the first week of marijuana being sold recreationally. Colorado plans on using a percentage of this tax money to help public education, and construct new schools. A plant once looked down upon is now providing insane amounts of money to help further our living. Seeing how much money could be made with the sale of marijuana many states are hoping to follow in Colorado’s footsteps.
While many states are looking to reap in the benefits over the sale of marijuana many people actually need it for medical...

...The Legalization of MarijuanaMarijuana is a plant, known as cannabis sativa and cannabis indica, which contains a psychoactive chemical called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The effects of THC include disruption of psychomotor behavior, short-term memory impairment, intoxication, stimulation of appetite, antinociceptive, and antiemetic activities. Marijuana, the Mexican name given to cannabis is a mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the plant. Cannabis is a term that refers to marijuana and other preparations made from the same plant. Hemp is a form of cannabis, cannabis sativa L, which contains less than one percent THC; it is used to make clothing, paper, and building materials. Tobacco is smoked just like marijuana is smoked, rolled in paper or in a pipe. The only difference is that tobacco is legal and marijuana is illegal. The government spends billions each year on the war on drugs, yet it is still around. For people under the age of 21 it is much easier to get marijuana then it is to get alcohol. Although many primarily associate marijuana with its harmful side effects, in actuality there are many benefits from its use as well.
Marijuana was a large part of culture throughout the entire world, it has been around for thousands of years and still continues to grow. Hemp was a large help with early...

...Legalization
Ariel Bryant
Mr. Elsey
ENC 1101
3/12/2013
Relieving pain, slowing the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, and fighting depression are some of the benefits marijuana can offer patients, some studies claim. Now, a group of pot activists is envisioning a new benefit: legal profits.
Marijuana is the dried blossom of cannabis sativa and cannabis indica plants, leafy annual plants with parts that are used for as herbs, animal food, medicine and as hemp for rope-making. "The flowers... contain psychoactive and physiologically active chemical compounds known as cannabinoids that are consumed for recreational, medicinal, and spiritual purposes," (White, 2013)
Before the 20th century, cannabis plants in the U.S. were relatively unregulated, and marijuana was a common ingredient in medicines.Recreational use of marijuana was thought to have been introduced in the U.S. early in the 20th century by immigrants from Mexico. In the 1930s, marijuana was linked publicly in several research studies, and via a famed 1936 film named "Reefer Madness," to crime, violence, and anti-social behavior. (White, 2013)
Many believe that objections to marijuana first rose sharply as part of the U.S. temperence movement against alcohol. Others claimthat marijuana was initially demonized partly due to fears of the Mexican immigrants associated with the drug. (White, 2013)
In...